As activists rally, priests show support by fasting

As hundreds of activists held small rallies in Cicero and the South Chicago neighborhood Monday to support immigration reform, others picketed the district offices of two congressmen who support stricter enforcement of immigration laws.

Hours later, Latino Catholics held a prayer vigil to support a small group of priests who are fasting, not just to grow spiritually during Lent, but to show solidarity with immigrants who come to this country for work and food.

Rev. Mark Bartosic said he started feeling weak on Palm Sunday, so weak he barely could keep his arms up for prayer.

Like the 12 other priests involved in the effort, Bartosic, pastor of St. Frances of Rome Church in Cicero, began his fast March 30.

"I wanted to fast to remind myself that I should be spiritually hungry for God," he said. "But I'm also fasting for the people in my parish. This is the reason why they come here. They come because they're hungry."

The vigil was part of a low-key observance in Chicago on a day when hundreds of thousands of demonstrators mobilized nationwide in support of immigration reform.

Chicago organizers are planning a larger rally May 1.

Judy Baar Topinka, the Republican candidate for governor, said at a news conference Monday that she favors stronger border protection before a resolution of how to deal with immigrants in the U.S. illegally.

"The borders have to be secured in whatever way that takes; because of terrorism, we have to know who is coming in here and where they are and what they're doing," she said. "We also have a business question and that is, are we talking about American jobs that are being taken? ... I would maybe argue that maybe if you paid people more, you would ultimately be able to get more Americans getting people jobs."

Catholic leaders in Illinois and nationwide are rallying for reforms that help their immigrant parishioners. Several U.S. bishops support legislation that would offer illegal immigrants a chance to legalize their status and establish a temporary worker program.

The six bishops of Illinois' Catholic dioceses, including Chicago's Cardinal Francis George, issued a joint statement denouncing the current immigration system and outlining elements they said should be included in a new law.

But the strongest words so far have come from Los Angeles Cardinal Roger M. Mahony, who said that if legislation is passed making it a crime to help illegal immigrants, he would instruct priests to break the law.

By Palm Sunday, Bartosic had fasted for 10 days, consuming nothing except water and hot tea. Bartosic is expected to end his fast Tuesday. Across Chicago, each priest participating in the fast has set his own timetable, depending on age, health and parish demands.

Rev. Gary Graf of Holy Family Church in Waukegan, who conceived the idea, is fasting 15 days, until Good Friday. Monday night, Latino Catholics held a prayer vigil at Our Lady of Tepeyac Church in Chicago's Little Village neighborhood to support the priests.

Rev. Larry Dowling, pastor of St. Denis Church in Chicago, said the idea for a fast among local priests arose out of the tradition of fasting during Lent. The idea picked up more steam last week after protests were held outside U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert's office in Batavia. When a spokesman for Hastert, a Republican, said he was unable to meet with them, the priests said they would fast until a meeting was scheduled.

The priests didn't plan for the fast to coincide with Holy Week, but Dowling said it now seems appropriate to be suffering as Christians commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

"It's partly coincidental that we are fasting during Holy Week, but I feel like it's also providence," he said. "It gives a sense of being in solidarity with those who are carrying their crosses and also thinking about carrying the cross of Christ."

While the priests made their point, about 250 protesters marched outside the Cicero office of the League of United Latin American Citizens. "We want our message heard everywhere, from Cicero to Washington," said Blanca Vargas, who heads the group's Midwest operations.

The turnout in Chicago was modest compared with the March 10 rally that drew more than 100,000 to the Loop. Organizers defended their decision not to stage another massive event for Monday.

Instead, labor unions and pro-immigrant groups held a news conference at Harrison Park in Pilsen to urge workers to march May 1 from Union Park on North Ashland Avenue to the Thompson Center in the Loop.

Also, dozens of activists picketed the district offices of Democratic U.S. Reps. Melissa Bean and Dan Lipinski, who supported a bill passed in the House that would beef up immigration enforcement. At Bean's office in Schaumburg, about three dozen pickets rallied behind a large American flag and chanted: "We are millions. Count us."